The overlooked power of media: Enhancing the memorability of communications

Relevance, difference, emotional impact, recency and frequency are the general characteristics of advertising that people readily remember.

The overlooked power of media: Enhancing the memorability of communications

James Galpin

The success of marketing communication is judged on a variety of factors, and one of the fundamental criteria is that people remember the ideas conveyed.

While the variety of ideas that marketing might communicate is endless, the general characteristics of things that people readily remember can be expressed in a short list. People remember things that are:

  • Relevant
  • Different
  • Emotionally impactful
  • Recently encountered
  • Frequently encountered

Many people assume that the first three qualities – relevance, difference, and emotional impact – evolve out of...

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